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Computer repairman admits he stole customers' photos

By Bob Gardinier
| on May 6, 2014

BALLSTON SPA -- A 26-year-old Mechanicville man will spend up to three years in prison for stealing images from computers he was supposed to be fixing.

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Andrew Cozzens was arrested in November amid accusations he took photographs from peoples' computers, put them on his own computer and posted some online without the owner's knowledge. State Police said at the time that Cozzens told people he could provide computer software or fix software problems. But while working on the machines, he downloaded personal or private images he found.

Cozzens was sentenced Monday to one to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to charges in March, said Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy.

Cozzens was originally charged with two counts of computer trespass, petit larceny and public display of sexually offensive material.